


Unfettered

by Suzie_b



Series: Unfettered [1]
Category: Yami No Matsuei
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-07-21
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2017-10-21 14:41:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/226336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suzie_b/pseuds/Suzie_b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Boredom leads Byakko into an unplanned pouncing and brings the way others view Touda into question.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Isabeau_Gower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isabeau_Gower/gifts).



> Beta by Elfen. This story was started a long time ago when there was very little hope of YnM ever completing and starts roughly at the end of the last manga at that time. Future installments will not be considered in this writing except where otherwise noted.

Byakko was restless and the fact that it was the middle of the night only made it worse. This wouldn't have been unusual except that he'd been asked to stay within Tenkuu's walls to keep an eye on the current situation and he was bored, damnit.

For a little while he'd amused himself with climbing one of the flowering trees that dotted the gardens, but even those in their full Springtime bloom couldn't hold Byakko's attention for long. What could, and did, catch his attention was the fact that Touda seemed to be just as awake, if not as restless.

It wasn't that the serpent was doing anything unusual. In fact, Byakko was certain that he never did anything out of the ordinary. It was that he was awake and outside and, therefore, an opportunity for stalking. Not so much to catch as to see how close he could get before being discovered.

The not being heard part was easy and Byakko was certain that even his movement within the trees was barely noticeable. Unfortunately, he'd spent so much time paying attention to being quiet that, just as Touda walked within pouncing distance, the branch under his hand snapped and sent him tumbling down toward the other shikigami.

"Aaaaah…!" Byakko gave up silence as he fell, but his exclamation fell short as the sudden impact of his feet (or backside) with the ground failed to happen. "Eh?" His eyes opened only to find their own reflection in the opaque surface of Touda's visor. "Wow! Good catch!"

Touda's expression never changed as he stood there, arms held out and supporting Byakko's weight. "Shouldn't you be in bed rather than out here stalking me? Or have you annoyed everyone else?" he asked.

Byakko frowned, looking a little insulted by the questions. "Oh come _on_ , I'm not that much of a pain in the ass. I was bored and hardly anyone else is awake. What're you doing up, anyway?"

For a moment, it appeared that Touda might not answer the question at all, but that illusion was dispelled soon enough. He let go of the tiger god, allowing Byakko to finish his fall to the ground. "That's none of your concern," Touda finally replied before turning to walk away. "Find someone else to bother."

"Woah! Ow! Damnit! That was just mean," Byakko complained as he stood to rub at his backside. "Come on, Touda, it's not like I asked you to write me a book. It was just a question. You know… conversation?" His shoulders slumped a little and he scratched at his cheek in thought. "Everyone's so edgy ever since Kurikara was released. I thought maybe you might be, too. Okay, that wasn't the reason I was stalking you, but that's why I asked. I stalked you because it was fun."

"I see no reason to participate in a conversation that I didn't seek out," Touda informed Byakko with only a backward glance. "Kurikara's presence has no impact on my existence here save for the fact that I am being watched more closely. You could be more subtle in your spying, Byakko."

"Spying… hey, I wasn't spying on you!" Byakko was certain his indignation was evident in his voice, but he did his best to keep out the edge of hurt the accusation brought. "I was just out here trying to not be so damn bored, that's all. You're not easy to sneak up on so I thought I'd give it a try."

"I'm not here to amuse you." Touda didn't appear annoyed as he turned around again, but it was clear that he wouldn't accept any incursion into his personal space. "If you're bored I suggest finding something else to do; somewhere else to play."

Byakko's hands clenched into fists and he gave a low growl that he didn't really mean to voice. "Suzaku was right, you really are infuriating. Did you have to do a lot of studying to be able to piss people off like that or is it natural?" As soon as the words came out he regretted them. After all, if Tsuzuki cared about Touda, then he should be nicer to him, perhaps even attempt to be his friend. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I wasn't spying and I didn't /mean/ to fall on you." He paused, trying hard to fight down a grin. "I meant to pounce you, but the limb broke."

Touda remained still for a handful of seconds, as if he were trying to decide whether he should believe Byakko or if it really mattered. "Byakko, I am out here because I wish to be alone. I … appreciate your trying to include me in your game but your effort is wasted."

"You wanted to be alone?" Byakko tilted his head to get a better look at Touda's face but it was impossible with that visor. "But you're always alone unless Tsuzuki is here. How is coming out here any different? Besides, there are eyes all over the place; you're _never_ alone here. C'mon, if you really want to be alone I know a great place for that." Without waiting for an answer, Byakko walked forward and grabbed hold of Touda's hand. "Trust me, trust me. I _promise_ you'll like it. Then I'll stop bugging you, okay?"

"…I didn't say yes," Touda pointed out, but he made no move to pull away and, with the momentum Byakko had built up, was already following behind him. "Fine. If I do this you'll leave me alone?"

"Yep! Well… until it's not good for you to be alone again, because it's not good to be alone _all_ the time." Byakko's pace didn't slow until they were at one of the gates leading out of Tenkuu's walls.

"How far are we going?" Touda wondered aloud as he paused near the gate. "I was told I was expected to stay nearby in case…"

"In case what? Besides, unless Tsuzuki told you then who cares? You're with me and it's not like anything _bad_ is gonna happen so it's fine. Look, even SohRyu can't complain if you're with me. And it's not as if Kurikara is gonna cause any trouble. If he did he'd just be locked up again and what dragon is gonna let that happen?" For a moment, Byakko experienced the urge to slap himself in the forehead, but since the words were already out, he decided that plowing on may be the best option. "Look at it this way: You're doing everyone a favor by keeping me busy."

"No one ever seems to mind your games, Byakko. I doubt that anyone has much reason to complain or want you kept busy." Touda didn't explain further as to why he shouldn't go wherever Byakko wanted to take him. In fact, he even seemed mildly curious as they exited the gate and took a path that had obviously seen little use over the years.

"Through here, on the other side of the trees," Byakko said and he tugged again on Touda's hand to urge him on. "Oh, I don't know. They don't complain much, but SohRyu gives me that look, you know?" The trees gave way to a clearing and the tiger god stopped and pointed. "There."

Touda looked like he was about to ask a question, but his attention was taken by the open expanse of sky and the exposed rock that bordered a pool of water so still it looked like glass. "It's a lake, Byakko. Is this where you wanted to bring me?"

"Oh come on, Touda, even you can appreciate heated water and warm stone to curl up on, can't you? The best part is that no one ever comes here, so when you just want to be lazy and you can't go very far away it's perfect." Byakko led the way to the water's edge and finally let go of Touda's hand in favor of sitting.

Touda seemed to have every intention of remaining where he was with his arms crossed in front of him and his gaze unreadable behind his visor. "If it is, then why is it that this place is, as you say, so unvisited?"

"Huh… I guess I never thought about it. I suppose there's gotta be a reason, maybe it's just because it's too out of the way. When you think about it, it's nothing like the gardens. There aren't any paths or pavilions here." Byakko stretched and then reached out to tug on Touda's hand. "That's why it's perfect. No one telling you to stop fidgeting around or watching every move you make."

Touda sat, keeping his distance from Byakko as he replied, "I'm sure that you're watched only out of concern for your well being. Do you really mind so much? I would think that someone like you would enjoy that sort of attention."

Byakko's nose wrinkled and he could barely believe the words he heard. "Like it? Don't get me wrong… it's nice that people are there to watch out for me, but there's only so much of that anyone can stand. It's bad enough from Suzaku, but SohRyu acts like he's my father. Which…" He scratched at his cheek before he continued, "I suppose makes me feel a little guilty, now that I think about it."

"He certainly seems to respect your opinion on things," Touda replied. "They certainly don't treat you as if…" He paused, looking for the right words, "You aren't an equal."

"No, they don't. Why do you let them do it, anyway?" The words were out before Byakko could stop them and he immediately held up his hands to fend off a response. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that. It's not my business, but…"

"But you're curious and you would like an answer anyway?" Touda looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "Very well, I'll answer. As you said, I'm keeping you out of trouble by distracting you."


	2. Chapter 2

Touda was silent as he looked out over the water and considered Byakko's question. Why _did_ he let himself be treated as anything less than an equal? The feelings were hard to put into words and he wasn't certain how much he should share. "Because it's what I deserve for my actions from the past," he said.

"Whatever it was, Tsuzuki knows, doesn't he?" Byakko's expression remained curious, and he leaned forward as he asked his question to emphasize his words.

"Tsuzuki knows. It was part of the conditions of my release that he had to know everything." Touda frowned as he spoke and refused to look in Byakko's direction. He'd never had any reason to dislike the younger shikigami, but neither had he any reason to _like_ him. At least, not that he could remember.

"Ok, so if Tsuzuki knows and he still loves you, then it can't be anything horrible, right? Based on that, there's no reason why I shouldn't treat you as an equal so that's my decision." Byakko looked very happy about the conclusion he'd reached as he removed the outer robe he wore in order to ball it up behind him. He stretched out and looked Touda directly in the face. "Besides, I can't think of any reason of my own to dislike you. Though you are frustrating sometimes and you need to learn to appreciate a good pounce when it's offered to you."

"A … what?" Touda shook his head and nearly asked Byakko if he hadn't jarred his brain on the way out of that tree. "Byakko, you do realize that there were very good reasons for me to be locked up?"

Byakko's nose wrinkled at the mention of Touda's confinement, but then he shrugged. "Well, they weren't good enough to _keep_ you locked up. If you'd done anything really evil or were the type who should be locked away forever, you wouldn't be here." The explanation was interrupted by an impatient look. "A pounce, Touda. You know… the thing you would have gotten if that stupid branch hadn't broke. Tsuzuki says I'm really good at it and he always laughs when I do it. You two are a lot alike on the inside, so I thought it might have the same effect."

"You're very hard to convince." Touda felt the need to point that trait out even if he was fairly certain his comment was lost on Byakko. "Not everyone appreciates that sort of approach. I don't laugh."

"I know! It's frustrating! You don't laugh, you don't relax, you… you just stand around looking all stoic." Byakko pushed himself up with his arms in order to regard Touda more closely. "You know what I think you need?" Without further warning, the tiger god leaned forward to rub his cheek against Touda's and made a sound that was similar to a growl without any of the volume. "Someone to stop giving you a mile of personal space." With that, he flopped back to rest his head on the robe he'd discarded earlier.

Touda was too shocked to pull back at first. No one ever got that close to him without appearing as if they'd rather not. For Byakko to do so as if it were something normal was more than surprising. That he was so casual about it was confusing. "What… Why did you do that?" It was a question he wanted answered but there was another that took precedence in his mind. "And what was that noise?"

"What? That? I do that to Tsuzuki all the time and he likes it, so I thought you might, too." Byakko looked confused for a moment and then chuckled. "That noise? Aw, c'mon, I'm pretty darn good at it for not being able to really purr. I can't, you know. Tsuzuki says it's relaxing. Except I usually lean against him and I didn't think you'd like that."

"A purr?" For the first time in a very long time, Touda nearly- _nearly_ \- laughed. "Byakko, I'm not angry with you, but you should be more careful of your actions. You shouldn't treat me so casually. You also shouldn't do that again."

Byakko's nose wrinkled again as he looked at Touda and frowned. "What do you mean? That's how I treat the people I care about. I don't do that to SohRyu but who would? That dragon wouldn't know a good cheek rub if it smacked him in the face. …or… well, you know what I mean. Besides, you're the one who told Tsuzuki to bring a collar and leash for me. If you're gonna be _that_ familiar, you can't tell me not to be."

"Why would my saying that be too familiar?" Touda was confused for only a few minutes before the realization dawned on him. "Byakko, I didn't mean anything like that. I meant it as a means to keep you from nearly tripping me when we gathered to see Tsuzuki off."

"I couldn't help it! There was a moth fluttering down by your feet and it was there _forever_. It was taunting me. What was I supposed to do?" Byakko didn't appear at all repentant. "You still said it and you should have seen the look on Suzaku's face until Tsuzuki and Hisoka distracted her."

"Why would Suzaku think that I meant anything more than keeping you out of mischief?" Touda knew the confusion showed on his face, but relied on the visor to keep most of it hidden. "I would never think of approaching any of you in such a disrespectful manner." If he could pretend to be insulted, perhaps the conversation would turn to another topic.

"Heeey! I'm not that bad, am I? Besides, it's not as if I command that much respect from anyone. Being respected is boring. It makes people stay away or not talk to you when they normally would if you weren't so 'respectable'." Byakko shrugged. "I'd rather have things the way they are between me and Tsuzuki. He might be my master, but he's also my friend."

"You would rather be informal with me than have me treat you with respect? I don't understand your thinking, Byakko." It was the truth and Touda was becoming a little more than perplexed. "Surely you aren't suggesting that you would trust me to be that informal?"

Byakko pushed himself up into a sitting position, looking a little displeased at having to do so. "Touda, don't be an idiot. Why wouldn't I trust you? If you think about it, the person I care about the most in any world trusts you with his life. When it comes right down to it, I'm a little ashamed of the fact that you were prepared to do for him something I could never bring myself to do. Something he knows he couldn't rely on me for even if I had the power to do it."

Touda tried to keep the immediate indignation of being called an idiot from showing on his face. "You really have picked a strange thing to be ashamed of. We should get back so that you can sleep. If I'm not back before morning there will be suspicions."

Byakko rolled his eyes as if Touda's suggestion were, again, the dumbest thing in history. "I told you, no one's gonna suspect you were up to anything if you're with me. Do you _really_ want to go back there? You can't tell me that it's not nice to be free from those walls. It's been a few days and if anything was going to happen, it would have happened by now. We should just sleep out here. It's warm enough and if you get too cold I could always just transform. I'm warm enough as it is; Tsuzuki told me that himself. When I have fur there's no way you're gonna get cold."

"Byakko…" Touda couldn't keep the sigh from escaping. Byakko's mind really did work in strange ways. The trouble was that he could find no way to argue with him in a convincing manner. "I'll admit that it's nice to not be trapped inside."

"Then it's settled," Byakko said as if they'd agreed on the matter. Reaching behind him, he picked up his discarded robe. The garment was unbundled and rolled again so that it would serve as a pillow for both of them before he put it back down. "I hate sleeping inside when I'm here. It's too closed in."

Touda wanted to argue that they really should return, but he quickly realized it was a lost cause. Byakko had achieved victory by assuming Touda agreed to stay. Any further discussion would be taken as an insult and he could come up with no reason to do that. "We'll return as soon as the sun rises," he informed.

"Fine, fine," Byakko agreed, yawning and stretching as he lay down and closed his eyes. "The sun isn't up until I open my eyes, anyway. C'mon, you don't wanna be up all night, do you?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre-warning that my beta-reader has a huge dose of Real Life, yo. This is not beta'd and has merely had a spell check. I'll go over it again later but I wanted to get this up for the gift-ee because she deserves it.

Byakko woke to find himself pressed against some unknown warmth that seemed to emanate from under his cheek. The strange warm surface was moving in slow, even movements that suggested breathing. If he wasn’t so comfortable, he might have jumped up to investigate.

His immobility might have, Byakko had to admit, something to do with the fingers caressing his hair. It wasn’t until he realized that those fingers really were fingers and that movement under his cheek really was breathing, that Byakko took a deep breath. Touda had stayed. “Don‘t wanna get up,” he murmured.

Touda’s fingers stilled and his muscles tensed as he pulled his hand away in response to Byakko’s words, leaving the cat god to wonder if Touda had been awake or not.

“Nnnf… don’t move yet. C’mon, I don’t have my eyes open and it’s not time to get up until that happens,” Byakko protested. This was his view of the world, after all. When he woke up, it was morning; it didn’t matter what time of the day everyone else said it was. Things were much simpler that way.

“Mine are open and the sun is up. If you wanted more sleep, you should have gone after it earlier,” Touda replied, his voice was still rough with the edges of sleep, although he did stop trying to move. “They’re right. You’re heavy. Move, cub.”

“Ooooooh, cub?!” The insult was enough to make Byakko open his eyes- well before time, too!- and he propped his chin on his arms to look at Touda‘s face. “Listen to me, snake. Just because I know how to appreciate things doesn’t make me a kitten.” There was no real reason for Touda’s words to make him as angry as they had, and Byakko had to force the growl out of his voice. He didn’t bring Touda out here to fight with him. “Relax. No one’s going to come looking for us.”

“SohRyu will be looking for us soon enough.” With that warning, Touda reached out to grab hold of Byakko’s shoulders in order to lift him. “I’m going back. You can do as you wish.”

“Now why would SohRyu come all the way out here? He’d know where I was and he’d probably guess you were with me since we were probably seen leaving together. What could he… oh.” Byakko tried to look as apologetic as he felt for the potential trouble he’d caused Touda. “Um… If he yells at you I’ll just tell him it was my idea. It’s not like I’d lie to him.”

“And then he’ll yell at you,” Touda pointed out, obviously eager to be on his way but waiting for Byakko. “Why get yourself into trouble?”

Byakko picked up the robe they’d used as a pillow to unroll it and shake out the wrinkles. “What kind of question is that? It’d be my fault, right? So I’m the one who should get yelled at for it.”

If Touda was going to respond to Byakko’s words, that response was forgotten as he looked up at the figure closing in on them from the sky. “I was wrong. It seems that Suzaku has come looking for you. To rescue you, I’m sure.”

“Wha…?” Byakko looked upward and then groaned. “She really needs to learn that I can take care of myself,” he muttered, realizing he sounded like a younger brother put out by an older sister’s over-protectiveness. “Suzaku! Look, it’s my fault… Hey!”

Either Suzaku hadn’t heard Byakko’s words or she was ignoring them. Instead, she dove toward Touda with her sword drawn and yelled, “Keep your hands off him!”

Byakko spared a second to glance toward Touda and realized that he meant to stand there and let Suzaku attack him. Defending himself would be seen as an act of aggression, and running away an admission of guilt. Not that he thought Touda ever ran from anything. “Suzaku! Stop it!” Byakko shouted.

He reacted on instinct, jumping in front of Touda while reaching back to push him out of danger. “Stop!” The hand he reached out to emphasize his words was no match for the sword aimed at him and, with the momentum she’d built up, there was no way for Suzaku to stop in time.

Byakko could hear people calling his name, but the burn of the metal as it pierced his skin and entered his chest was too overwhelming to hear anything else being said. He felt arms lifting him and instinct told him to hold on but his eyes were already closing. Before he could figure out whose arms were holding him, consciousness slipped away.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed when Byakko finally opened his eyes to see Suzaku sitting beside him. There was little light coming through the single window of the room he’d been placed in, and he could hear the insects in the gardens beginning to stir, leading him to believe that several hours had elapsed.

Suzaku looked up and then leaned forward, obviously relieved to see Byakko’s eyes open. “It took you long enough,” she accused without sounding the least bit angry. “You big dummy! Why did you get in my way like that? I was protecting you!”

“…Suzaku? What are you talking about? Protecting me… What were you protecting me from? I’m the one who talked Touda into going out there.” Byakko shook his head and tried to push himself up only to be stopped by the sharp pain of a protesting wound that hadn’t quite healed just yet. Internal injuries always took longer, even for shikigami. “I didn’t expect you to be serious.”

“Didn’t… Byakko, be sensible. Touda killed your father. How can you possibly trust him?” Suzaku sighed and stood before bending to place a kiss on Byakko’s forehead. “We can talk about it later when you’re healed up.”

“Hey, wait! I know what happened, but why shouldn’t I trust him? It’s not like he’s gonna do anything to anyone. Tsuzuki wouldn’t want him to, and he’s not gonna do anything that Tsuzuki doesn’t want him to do,” Byakko pointed out as he frowned at Suzaku. “I can protect myself. Besides, if Touda wanted me dead he’s had more than one chance.”

Suzaku stood by the bed, her foot tapping on the thick carpet that muffled the sound without muffling the impatience behind it. “You’re still recovering; I’m not going to argue with you. Get better before Tsuzuki gets here. He’s already on his way, SohRyu said so. And that’s another thing… SohRyu was worried about you. Hmph, as much as any dragon worries about anything. Get some sleep, Byakko. You’re gonna need it.” Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room.

Byakko‘s first reaction was to stick his tongue out at Suzaku‘s back as she left, but that defiance died out quickly. “…crap.” He’d definitely have to apologize to SohRyu for the worry he’d caused, but he felt guiltier about the fright he’d probably caused Tsuzuki. “It’s not my fault it’s so boring around here,” he muttered.

“There are other ways to deal with your boredom,” replied a voice from the doorway. “You’ve had everyone worried over your condition, Byakko. You should have shown better judgment.”

Byakko groaned and, if he could have managed it, he would have disappeared into the overly thick mattress under him or would have at least pulled the covers over his head. “SohRyu…”

SohRyu walked past the chair to sit directly on the edge of the bed. “Suzaku thought she’d killed you. Can you imagine how your actions would have hurt her? Not to mention the rest of us. I understand your view on Touda, but you have to realize that he’s not the same person that your father called friend. He’s the one who took your father’s life. You did your part to save him when you stopped him so that he could be captured. Be content with that. Don’t make everyone worry about your safety.”

Byakko cringed. He’d been waiting on those cards to be played. SohRyu’s temper was a thing to be feared, but he was at his worst when he didn’t yell. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want anyone to worry, but if I hadn’t gotten him out for a while everyone would be even more nervous. The more he hangs around here the more tense people get. I can see that. Besides, I know how it feels to be stuck inside these walls. It’s too closed in. Come on, SohRyu, don’t worry about me, alright?”

“Byakko, I know you can defend yourself. What I’m worried about is that you’ll be hurt needlessly. Be content with the family you’ve already built.” SohRyu finally smiled and reached out to place a hand on Byakko’s shoulder. “And don’t look like you’re sulking. Tsuzuki is coming to check on you. You don’t want to give him more to worry about, do you?”

“I’m not sulking.” Of course, there was no way Byakko would ever admit it even if he were. “Alright, alright. I still say that anyone my father cared about that much can’t be bad, and if Tsuzuki loves him then he can’t be bad at all. It’s just not possible, SohRyu. Look, I’ll get some sleep so I’ll be recovered before Tsuzuki gets here.” Anything SohRyu might have said in return was cut off when Byakko snuggled down into the covers and closed his eyes. Even a dragon wouldn’t wake a sleeping cat.


	4. WIP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd and unfinished. I thought I'd put it up to show progress. I'll finish it up asap!

Byakko had found the warmest spot in the bed made warmer by the way the sun was hitting just so on the comforter over him. With his pillow laying under him so that he could curl up on the soft surface, he was pretty certain that he could only be more comfortable if it were his own bed. The thought of going back to sleep was tempting until he felt the familiar presence of his master intensely enough to know he was very nearby.

"Nnn… Tsuzuki!" Byakko’s voice was muffled and he had to push at the blanket to uncover his head in order to peek out just as the door opened. "Come on! It’s really warm," he informed and lifted the cover to indicate that his master should join him.

"Byakko… I was really worried!" Tsuzuki didn’t take the invitation, but sat on the edge of the bed to inspect his shikigami as best he could without pulling at his clothes to see if the wound was still there. "Why would you do something like that?!"

"I didn’t expect her to use that sword! I mean, who does that?!" Byakko felt a pout coming on and promptly schooled his expression into a scowl instead. "Besides, Touda’s just as much to blame! He was just gonna stand there! At least I made a decision."

"It was not your decision to make." Touda’s voice sounded from near the door, looking less than pleased in a way that only Touda could. Without showing any emotion at all save for a slight downward curve of his mouth that merely indicated a frown.

Byakko groaned and threw the blanket over his head again. "Can’t you guys just be all stern and serious with me one at a time? I’m fine. There’s no way Suzaku would kill me. I don’t think she’d kill Touda, either. She just needs to calm down, that’s all."

"That’s all?" Tsuzuki paused, but there was no way Byakko could see his master’s face from under the blanket. "Touda… You didn’t tell me that you weren’t gonna move. Do you know what a bad idea that is?!"

"It was my choice." Touda, true to form, made no excuses for his actions and didn’t seem inclined to move from his spot near the door.

"See?! See?!" Byakko finally pushed the blanket aside and sat up. "I told you! And look," the cat god offered as he started to pull at the bandages in order to expose the now completely healed skin beneath. "I’m fine now, so there’s nothing to worry about. Unless you’re gonna tell me that I did the wrong thing. …well, even then because I won’t listen, but that’s entirely different."

Tsuzuki looked between the two Shikigami, obviously at a loss as to who he should be chiding. "You know, I’m beginning to wonder if I shouldn’t just tell SohRyu that I want you two to look after each other. Why was Suzaku so upset about seeing you two together in the first place?"

"It should be obvious. She was afraid Byakko would come to harm at my hands," Touda offered, but the explanation went no further than that. 

"Pfft, that's not all she was worried about you doing with your hands." Byakko rolled his eyes as he unwound the remaining bandages and wadded them up to toss in the direction of the basket. He glanced between his master and Touda- both studying him without appearing to appreciate his joke- and threw up his hands. "Oh come on, isn't anyone else going to bring up the fact that it's not Touda's fault OR mine?" 

Tsuzuki rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'll have a talk with her..." 

"It will do you little good. Suzaku won't let her grudge go until she's gotten revenge. I _did_ nearly kill our master," Touda pointed out. "She's not likely to forget that. She should also know better than think I'd be that disrespectful..." 

"She's jealous." Byakko rubbed at the now healed skin and wrinkled his nose. "That damn sword of hers... My skin's still hot." He seemed to think something over for a few seconds before nearly leaping into Tsuzuki's lap and rubbing his own cheek against his master's. "Can you stay for a visit or do you have to go right back?" Before his question could be answered, he glanced over at Touda and grinned. "Is that what you call it?" 

Tsuzuki rubbed a hand over Byakko's hair before hugging him. "I can't stay. Hisoka is covering for me by doing our paperwork, but I have to get back." He glanced over at Touda. "Make sure Byakko gets home? He feels warm." 

"I'll look after him," Touda promised. "You should make him promise to let himself be looked after." 

"Hi! Guardian of the West," Byakko announced, then sighed when his words seemed to have little impact. "Actual god? ... Oh fine. Touda could use some time out of here anyway. Suzaku won't come after him in my territory. In fact, why don't you spend a few days?" With that decided, Byakko stood to pick up the clothes that had been provided for him. "Come visit when you can? Bring Hisoka! It'll be fun!"

Tsuzuki nodded at Touda and stood. "I'll bring him with me next time. He has to meet with Kurikara. SohRyu made it a condition of his release." With that, and a parting hug to each of the two shikigami, he left. 

"Well?" Touda asked as he waited for Byakko to dress. 

Byakko pulled the tunic over his head and blinked at the serpent. "Huh?" He blinked dumbly. 

"Your promise to let yourself be looked after," Touda prompted. 

Byakko rolled his eyes before returning to the task of dressing. It wasn't until he was done that he nodded. "Alright, but I won't need it. I'm fine! Come on," he reached out to grab hold of Touda's hand. "Let's go. I wanna get home. I slept most of the day away and I'm _hungry_


End file.
